A review of published toxicology studies argues that there are as yet no ways to predict which quantum dots will be toxic and which will be safe, making it necessary to test each type of quantum dot for toxicity before reaching any conclusions about their clinical utility.

Two groups of investigators in Europe have developed engineered nanoscale materials that enhance images obtained using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. With further development, these nanomaterials have the potential to improve the detection of early stage cancer.

Carbon nanotubes have already found many valuable applications in nanotechnology. Now researchers are adding yet another potential use for these unique nanomaterials: as a detector for specific sequences of DNA. The work suggests that carbon nanotubes could be the basis for ultrasensitive devices for detecting pathogens such as anthrax and DNA mutations that cause genetic diseases, as well as leading to a more precise tool for understanding genetic mechanisms inside cells.

Columbia University is a major contributor to the NanoMedicine Center for Mechanical Biology, a multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at developing new technologies for regenerative medicine and treating human diseases that involve mechanical malfunction, such as cancer.

The first electron microscope for simultaneously and automatically investigating in three-dimensions the phase content, crystallographic texture, and crystal interfaces of materials was co-designed and put into service at the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Germany.

IP NANOKER (Structural Ceramic Nanocomposites for Top-end Functional Applications)) is a 4 year research project co-funded by the European Commission . The NANOKER newsletter will be published quarterly, and interested individuals can register to receive this on the website.

Electronic mail, Web sites, conversations, and experiments about the emerging field of nanotechnology might quickly slip into the past without the work of historians working to document them as they occur.

The nose, usually the first line of defense against inhaled airborne particles that could damage the lungs, may itself be susceptible to the dangers of nanoparticles, which are less than 100 nanometers in size.